Press for heat sealing sheet and like multiple part objects



D. G. REMPEL 2,745,463

PRESS FOR HEAT SEALING SHEET AND LIKE MULTIPLE PART OBJECTS May 15, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1955 y 1956 D. G. REMPEL 2,745,463

PRESS FOR HEAT SEALING SHEET AND LIKE MULTIPLE PART OBJECTS Filed May 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

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PRESS FOR HEAT SEALING SHEET AND LIKE MULTIPLE PART OBJECTS Filed May 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet s x n Mu L'.' v r :1:

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PRESS FOR HEAT SEALING SHEET AND LIKE MULTIPLE PART OBJECTS May 15, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 28, 1953 INVENTOR. .P fif/a/ 6S fi m/"a, 86., m,

United States Patent PRESS FOR HEAT SEALING SHEET AND LIKE MULTIPLE PART OBJECTS Dietrich G. Rempel, Akron, Ohio, assignor to Rempel Manufacturing, Inc., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 28, 1953, Serial No. 358,043:

11 Claims. (Cl. 154-1) This invention relates to a press in which pressure, usually accompanied by heat, is employed to form uniting scams or joints between parts of fabricated articles. The invention also includes a novel structure of platen or work engaging part for such a press.

Many articles formed of sheet fabric and like materials are assembled from separate sheets or parts by seams initially formed by pressure and usually heat. Thus, air mattresses for military or camping use are formed from superimposed sheets of rubber impregnated fabric joined together along seams adjacent the sheet edges, and are usually provided with partitions dividing them into parallel tubular. ridges by strips of similar fabric uniting the sheets along spaced substantially parallel lines. The economical assembly of such articles requires a press that simultaneously applies equal pressure, usually accompanied by heat, to both the edge seams and the seams joining the partitions to the upper and lower sheets of the article.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved press and press platen structure capable of applying substantially equal pressure to a plurality of seams between sheets or other substantially fiat parts despite irregularities in seam thickness and irregular Warping of press platens, bases or supports due to the heating of these parts incident to scam formation or due to other causes. Other objects of the invention willrbe pointed out or will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof. I

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which a press and press platen structure embodying the invention has been illustrated.

In the drawing: v

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a press embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the press shown in Fig.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the detailed structure of the press;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 88 of Fig. 1;.

supported by suitable legs 12 and an upper movable bed 13 hingedly secured to the lower bed adjacent the rear edge by suitable means, such as the hinges 14 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). Each of the beds 11 and 13 is of box-like reinforced construction, incluuding a substantially flatbed plate facing the press area and transversely and longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs, such as the ribs 15 shown in Fig. l. A counterweight 16 carried between rearwardly extending arms 17 secured to or formed integral with the upper movable bed 13 permits easy lifting of the upper bed and normally holds it in an open posi-; tion. Handles 18 are secured to the front face of the upper bed 13 to facilitate manual movement thereof between closed and open positions.

Suitable means are provided for releasably securing the upper bed 13 in its closed substantially horizontal position. In the disclosedembodiment, this means takes the form of a plurality of short latch rods 19,-respectively secured at spaced points to and longitudinally movable to latching and unlatching positions by a rod 20 extending along the front of the fixed lower bed 11 and slidahly; carried in openings through brackets 21 secured to and extending from the bed front. When the latch rods are moved to the right, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 9, they pass through aligned openings in the brackets 21 and in cooperating brackets 22 fixed to the front face of the up per movable bed ifi, and so releasably secure the beds in parallel adjacent relation when the upper bed is closed.

Movement of the rod 20 to the left withdraws the latch I embodiment of the invention are particularly designed for work. Electrical heating elements 3!) are disposed with- Fig. 9 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the latching mechanism employed in the disclosed embodiment of the press, showing the press parts closed and latched; and

Fig. 10 is an elevation similar to .Fig. 9 showing the press parts unlatched. 7

Referring to the drawings, the press chosen to illustrate a typical embodiment of the invention includes generally a fixed substantially horizontal lower bed 11 in the hollow channels 28 to heat the work engagi'ngf ridges 29. The arrangement of the channels 2% conforms to the pattern of seams to be formed, and in the disclosed embodiment includes a continuous edge channel 28' run-i ning adjacent the periphery of the platen in the form of, the outline of the mattress to be formed and longitudinal parallel partitionsecuring channels 28" running len'gth wise of the platen Within the confines of the edge chan nel 28' (Fig. 1 Y 1 The'lower platen is similarly constructed with a flexible; metal plate 31 which, in apreferred embodiment, may

comprise a sheet steel about of an inch in thickness; carrying upstanding hollow seam pressing channels flexible platen plate and the adjacent bedof the press.

In the illustrated embodiment, the air bag 35' is a sub 1 limited floating 35 expands and-collapses; o V e The air bag 35 is inflatedand deflated through a suitable V thefa'ce of the lower bed 11;

V ,larged head 39 which is clamped against'the inner surface of the air bag 31 about an opening therein by 'a'nut I canizing, the mattress may be inflated for use, whereupon; it takes-theform illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5: V

due to temperature 3 stantially flat relatively thin bag of natural or artificial rubber, or other suitable flexible air-tight material, fdis= posed on the flat upper surface of the fixed lower press bed 11 and extending substantially throughout the width and length of the bed. A flexiblelayer- 36 of heat iri's'ul'at ing fmaterial, such as asbestos,jis disposedbetween' the .upper face of the air bag and the plate 31 to-avoid harm ful heat deterioration of the air bag. The corners of the air bag preferably fall short of the corners of the bed 31 to perr'nit the passage of securing bolts 37 between the bed 11 and the plate '13. Thesebolts 37, located adjacent the corners of the plate, as shown in Fig: 1, passloosely I through openings in the plate and threadedlyeng'age the bedll. The heads of the bolts 37 are spaced'frornthe upper surface or the plate 31; so that the bolts permit :ovement of the plate 31 as the airbag cbnnectiomhere shown as a nipple 38; passing through The nipple 38" has an en- 40 threaded on the'outer end of the nipple. The air hose 41 is employed to selectively connect the nipple 38 and the j interior of, the air bag 35 to a source of compressed air or to a vent under control of a manually operable valve 42, as illustrated in Fig. 3. I 1

With the described arrangement, an article such as an air mattress maybe readily assembled and such anoperation will be briefly described. Two layers 47 and48 of sheet'materiah'such as textile fabric impregnated and,

V I ifidesired,-coated with natural or artificial rubber and having the desired shape, are superimposed with'a' series of lengthwise folded partition strips 49 of the same material arrangedtherebetween, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Strips 50 of paper or other liner material are preferably disposed between the juxtaposed surfaces of the folded strips 49' to prevent adherence between these faces. Powdered adhesive preventing material, such as Zinc stearate, may be introduced between the areas of the sheet material layers 47 and 48 between the edge seams and the partitions, as

illustrated at 51; The thus assembled parts are then'placed the edge pressing ridges 33' andthe ends of the folded partitiontstrips 49 aligned with the pressing ridges 33'21 'Theupper lpres s bed. 13 is then lowered and, latched to the lower bed 11 with the air bag 35 deflated; After latching of the press, the air bag 35 is inflated with air under substantial superatmospheric pressure. The heating elements 30and'34 are desirably energized during the entire operation. The inflation of the air bag 35 presses the I 1ower..work engaging members against the assembled mattress parts and firmly squeezes them against the upper work engaging members, thereby forming heat and pressure. sealed seams around the edges of the sheet material. layers 477and 48 and between each of the ends ofeach folded partition strip 49 and the adjacent inner surfaces overlying said'bag',"a complementary work engaging'niem j 1 Iterial between said plate and said bag. f s a 4. A press part comprising a substantially rigid bed,'

said complementary work engaging member to said bed a adjacent said plate;

2. Apresspart, comprising'a substantially rigid bed, a work engaging member comprising a flexible sheet metal plate overlying said-bed, and an infiatablebfagdis? posed between said bed and said plate and substantially coextensive therewith.

3. A. press part comprising. a"'substantially rigi'd bed,

a Work engaging member comprising a flexible sheet metal platev overlyingsaid'bed, means for heating said work engaging member, an inflatable'bag disposed between said bed and said plate and substantially coextensive therewith and a flexible layer of heating insulating maa 'work-engaging member comprising a flexible "metal v plate overlying said bed, an inflatable bag disposed between said bed'and said plate and'substantiallycodisposed'between said bag and said plate, a complementary work' engaging member'hingedly secured to said base and mentary'work engaging'member in such closed-position,

' in theop'ened press with the edge seam areas resting on I 5,

extensive therewith, and 'spaced work-engagingfr'idges carried by said flexible plate and extending from the side thereof remote from said inflatable bag.

I 5. press comprising a'substantially rigid bed, a work engaging member comprising a flexible sheet metal'pla'te.

overlying saidbed, means for heating said work'engaging member, an 1nflatable bag disposed between said b e'd' and said plate, .a flexible layer of heating insulating material movable between an open position remote from said plate and a 'closedpo'sition' adjacent and substantially parallel.

thereto, and means for releasably securing said complc 6. Apress comprising a substantially rigid bed, a work engaging member comprising a flexible sheet metalplate overlying said bed and having upstanding work engaging ridges on the'upper surface? thereof, means for heating said work engaging ridges, an inflatable bag disposed betweensaid bed and said plate and substantially coexten sive'therewith, a flexible layer'ofheat insulating material disposed between said bag and saidaplate, la comple mentary substantially rigid work engagingmember hinged- 1y secured to said base and movable between an openposition remote from said plate and a closed position-'ad jacent and substantially parallel thereto, a lnm li y work engaging ridges on the workingsurface ofsaid H complementary work engaging member substantially aligned with said workengaging ridges on said p'latewhen of the adjacent sheet layers. After a considerable interval of such heat and pressure, the seams; are sufliciently formed to permit removal of the; assembled mattressafrom the press. This is done by venting'the airbag'35 to.-atmos-- phere, unlatching and lifting thejupper bed- 13 and lifting out the assembled mattress. -Af ter suitable. curing OPVUIT sure applied along the several; seams of the article is sub stantially uniform, and this despite diflerences in seam thickness or warping of the beds or other parts 'of the presschanges or gradients. Iclaimf- 1. A press comprisinga substantially'rigid bed; a rela tively thin substantially flat inflatable bagoverlying,- saidbed andsubstantially coextensive; therewith,- a-work en-g said complementary work engaging member is in its closed position, means for heating said ridges of said comple-. mentary work engaging member and means for releasably'secun'ng said complementary work engaging member. in its closed position. I

- 7'. A'presscomprising asubstantially rigid bed, a' relatively thin, substantially flat, inflatable bag overlying said bed and substantially coextensive therewith, a work en-, 7

- gaging} member comprising a flexible sheet metal plate 2' 7 Due to'the flexible floating application of pressure by the air bag through the Work engaging members, the pres-;

overlying said bag, a complementary work engaging-mem ber, meansfor mounting said bag in 'saidcomple'mentary work engaging member for relative movement to'admita work piece between said'comple'mentary work engaging memberand said plate, means'for releasably securingsaid complementary-work engaging member to'sai'd'bed"--adjacentsaid'plate, said plate and said'complementar'y work engaging member each being provided with work engaging ridges thereon, the ridges on said platebeing in substantial alignment with the ridges on the complea mentary work engaging .member: when said complementary work engaging member is in its closed position, and means for heating said work engaging ridges.

8. A press comprising a substantially rigid bed, an inflatable bag overlying said bed, a flexible plate overlying said bag, a complementary work-engaging member, and means for moving said complementary work-engaging member relative to said flexible plate from a closed position Where it is adjacent said flexible plate to an open posi tion to admit a workpiece between, at least one of said complementary work-engaging member and said flexible sheet having spaced work-engaging ridges.

9. A press as defined in claim 8 in which the workengaging ridges are carried by the flexible plate.

10. A press as defined in claim 8 in which workengaging ridges are carried both by the flexible plate and the complementary work-engaging member, and the i1. A press as defined in claim 8 wherein the workengaging member is mounted for pivotal movement rela tive to the bed and which includes means for securing the complementary Work-engaging member to the bed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Anderson Aug. 8, 1933 Dufiy et a1 Nov. 28, 1944 Langer July 21, 1953 

